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History of Heironeous/Chapter 8
When Lolth had finished speaking these words, she gazed upon Heironeous, for she knew who he was, and she knew that he knew not what he was to find in the land southwards, and she was sore afraid. #For the armies of Lolth could destroy the army of Heironeous, yea, as easily as a man swatteth a fly, yet she knew that her armies and her poisons, yea, all the hellish tools at her disposal, would serve no purpose against Heironeous, for his divinity protected him, yea, as did his valour, as did the meersalm, gift of his mother. #And also she knew that she had formed an alliance with Hextor, and granted to his army safety while it dwelt within her mountains, and she feared least Heironeous discover the fate of Stratis, and exact from her vengeance for the death of his half-brother. #And Heironeous gazed upon Lolth, and he saw that she was sore afraid, though he knew not why, and he spake unto her, saying, #Behold, thou foul and verminous beast, mine army shall not retreat from these mountains, nor shall it ever retreat before base threats such as thine, for to retreat even once because of fear is to die a thousand deaths, and to lose one's own soul. #Therefore, if thou shalt permit us to pass unhindered, we shall spare thee, and thy minions, for our quarrel is not with thee, but with the army that marches in the south. #And when Lolth heard these words, she laughed, for she knew of the army in the south, and she stepped aside from the tunnel, and spake unto Heironeous, #I knew not that thy goal was in the south, and I shall not bar thy way; neither I, nor my spiders, nor my drow, nor any creature which I control, but they shall unbar the way before thee, and permit thee to pass; thee, and thine army, and any creature which followeth thee shall pass. #And Heironeous knew not why Lolth laughed, nor why she should permit him to pass, but he forbore to question her further, but returned into the sunlit lands, and placed markers that his army would not enter the cave of Lolth, but would follow him through the pass and into the jungles of the south, wherein was the conquering army. #And the army of Heironeous passed through the mountains without threat, because Lolth, and her spiders, and her drow, and all the creatures which followed after her did protect them, and distract the Guardians of the mountains, and allowed the army of Heironeous to pass. #Because it pleased Lolth to let them pass, for she said to herself, Let me see how this Heironeous fares with his fifty and five against the army in the south, which has thousands, yea and tens of thousands of soldiers, and is led by Hextor, the half-brother of Heironeous. #And so it was that Lolth became an enemy unto Heironeous, and all who followed him, for she knew of Hextor, that he raised an army, and she knew of Stratis, that he was slain, and she spake not of these things to Heironeous, but let him pass, for it amused her to anticipate the pain of Heironeous when he learned these things. #And it came to pass that the army of Heironeous passed through the mountains, and came unto the jungles of the south, and there was a city there, by name the city of Tlaloc, and men dwelt therein, who had the form of serpents. Category:History of Heironeous